September 9, 2010

A Hickory family’s pet died Thursday in a house fire.
The dog was inside the house, located at 1959 16th St. NE in Hickory, when a fire broke out in the basement.
No one was at home when the fire started, but one of the residents returned home at 10:07 a.m. and smelled smoke, said Terri Byers with the Hickory Fire Department.
Thirteen Hickory firefighters arrived on the scene with two engines, one ladder truck and one command vehicle. They found flames in the basement, as well as smoke and heat damage on the first floor.

September 9, 2010

The city of Hickory will hold a Sept. 11 remembrance event Saturday.
The event, which is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. in Union Square in downtown Hickory, marks the first time the city organized a 9/11 event by itself.
“We right away started planning this event (after Sept. 11, 2009),” said Mandy Pitts, Hickory communications director. “We plan for this to be the start of an annual event.”
The Hickory High School band will play patriotic tunes prior to start of the event.

September 9, 2010

Certain roads in Catawba County are expected to be paved in the coming months, following a recommendation by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Jackie McSwain, district engineer for the NCDOT, presented the Catawba County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday with the NCDOT’s priority list for paving and widening secondary roads in the county.
The county was allocated $1,580,200 in North Carolina highway funds to use in the projects, and all of the funding is expected to be utilized.

September 9, 2010

The Catawba County Animal Shelter re-opened Tuesday, and after two days, the shelter is back to overcrowded conditions.
The shelter housed 119 cats and dogs at noon on Thursday, which exceeds the shelter’s capacity by 41 animals.
But for Jane Tse, of Hickory, surrendering her dog to the animal shelter Thursday was her only choice.
Tse’s daughter died in October, and she has cared for her daughter’s dog since her death.
“She was just too sick to take care of (the dog),” Tse said.

September 9, 2010

Area WATCH DOGS organizations put a leash on school violence.
The WATCH Dads of Great Students (DOGS) organization is comprised of volunteer father figures, like dads, grandfathers, uncles and older brothers, who commit time in area schools to be positive role models for students.

Kelly Regina Cardwell, 50, of Catawba, died Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010, at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory. The Cardwell family entrusted the funeral arrangements to Willis-Reynolds Funeral Home and Crematory in Newton.